


Meddling

by mithrel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Blanket Permission, M/M, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-11
Updated: 2009-12-10
Packaged: 2017-10-31 00:30:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/337922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrel/pseuds/mithrel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel convinces Gabriel to help them, and along the way he and Sam help Dean and Cas get a clue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unwelcome Guest

Castiel’s sitting on a park bench, staring into the distance, when suddenly someone is sitting on the bench next to him.

“Gabriel,” he sighs. He doesn’t want to talk to him, doesn’t want to deal with the brother who left, the brother who he’d thought was lost forever.

“Hey, little bro,” Gabriel says, leaning back.

Castiel ignores him.

“Hey, what’s up with you?”

“Nothing is ‘up,’ Gabriel. What do you want?”

“Is that any way to talk to your big brother?” Gabriel demands, and he sounds hurt.

Castiel rounds on him, sudden fury making his voice shake. “You’re not. You lost any right to that long ago.”

Gabriel winces slightly, and says, “Cas…”

“It’s Castiel.” There are only a few people who get to call him Cas, and Gabriel is _not_ one of them.

“If you’d just let me explain…” Gabriel pleads.

“There’s nothing _to_ explain! You _left!_ ” The bitterness of that is still fresh. “You left and no one could find you, for thousands of years, and now I find out you’re the _Trickster?_ ”

“What was I supposed to do?” Gabriel snaps. “You saw how they were, you knew what was going to happen! It was foretold!”

“You could have helped us! Helped me.” He suddenly doesn’t want to be there anymore, so he gets up off the bench.

Gabriel grabs his arm. “What are you even still doing here, bro? You know Heckle and Jekyll aren’t going to do what they’re supposed to.”

“Our Father told me to–”

“Yeah, yeah!” Gabriel cuts him off. “Do you always have to do what Daddy tells you? Oh, wait, you haven’t been!”

“I was told to protect Dean.” That’s all he’s been doing, through all of it. He’ll follow his orders, even if it means he’s cast out.

Gabriel smirks. “Yeah, sure, but it’s more than that. You’ve got it bad, bro.”

Castiel frowns. “What are you talking about?”

“Dude, you went against Heaven for him!”

“I couldn’t let Uriel kill him.” He couldn’t let Dean die. He was protecting him when he went up against Raphael, protecting him when he killed Uriel’s lackeys.

“Because you were ordered to,” Gabriel snorts.

“Yes.”

Gabriel sighs and shakes his head. “Cas, Cas, Cas. You’re falling for him.”

Castiel frowns. “I haven’t fallen.” He may have been cast out, his powers reduced, but he still has his Grace.

“Always so literal!” Gabriel scoffs. “Listen, you’ll never win. You’re going up against Lucifer _and_ Michael.”

“We’ll win.” His faith in his Father might have been shaken, but one thing he still has faith in is Dean Winchester.

Gabriel smiles sadly. “Sure. I hope, for your sake, that you do. And I hope you get a clue.”

Before Castiel can ask what he means by that, he vanishes as quickly as he’d come.


	2. Conversion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel shows up again. Cas doesn’t want anything to do with him.

Castiel wasn’t expecting Gabriel to show up again, but he did, suddenly sitting on one of the motel beds. He sighed. “What do you want, Gabriel?”

Gabriel actually looked faintly hurt. “Do we have to have this conversation every time I come by?”

“Yes. Because you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t planning something.”

“I can’t check up on my little brother?”

Castiel glared at him. “I told you, Gabriel, I don’t want anything to do with you. You better leave before Dean shows up.”

Gabriel shrugged. “He won’t.”

Castiel’s eyes narrowed. If he’d done something to Dean… “Why not?”

“Car trouble. He and Sam will have to either get it fixed or walk back to the motel. Either way, it’ll take awhile.”

“You know Dean will kill you for tampering with his car,” Castiel pointed out.

Gabriel shrugged again. “He’s welcome to try.”

For the first time, Castiel knew what it felt like to have a headache. “Why are you here, Gabriel?”

“I’m concerned about you, alright!” he burst out. “You’re in the middle of the Apocalypse, wanted by Heaven _and_ Hell, your Grace is fading–”

Castiel cut him off. “You should have considered that before you left.”

“Cas…”

“You _abandoned_ us, Gabriel. If living with the Winchesters has taught me one thing, it’s _you don’t abandon your family,_ no matter how bad it gets!” He’d looked up to Gabriel, just like he’d looked up to Michael, and knowing that Sam and Dean stuck together, even after Sam started the Apocalypse, made him feel cheated somehow.

Gabriel winced, staring at the floor. “I’m sorry,” he said, and his voice had lost all its bravado, the trace of supercilious amusement.

“That’s not good enough.”

“Well, what can I do to make it up to you?”

“Help us. Against Lucifer.”

Gabriel laughed incredulously. “You want me to go up against the Morningstar? That’s insane!”

“You’re an archangel.”

“Well, yeah, but Lucifer was more powerful than anyone except Michael. It’d be suicide!”

“I’m not afraid to die.” And he wasn’t. Another thing the Winchesters, Dean especially, had taught him. There were things worth dying for.

Gabriel shook his head ruefully. “You’re insane. All three of you are insane. But,” he continued, as Cas decided he wasn’t going to help, “I must be insane, too.”

Cas stared at him. “Then you’ll help?”

Gabriel nodded, looking like he’d swallowed something sour. “Yeah, I’ll help. A heroic last stand, Charge of the Light Brigade, Battle of Thermopylae, yadda yadda.”

“Thank you.”

Gabriel smiled at him. “Hey, I’ve been derelict in my brotherly duties. It’s the least I can do. And let me know if I need to give Dean a talk.”

“You’ll have to talk to him at some point…” Cas began, but Gabriel was rolling his eyes. “What?”

“Bro, you seriously need to catch a clue!”

Cas shook his head in confusion, and Gabriel snorted. “Never mind!”


	3. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel talks to Dean.

Dean was in the motel room, trying to figure out what had made one of the guns jam. They couldn’t afford their weapons not working in a fight. Sam was out getting dinner, and Cas was wherever angels went when they weren’t hanging around on Earth, when the Trickster appeared.

Dean scowled. Gabriel–and wasn’t he still having trouble thinking of the Trickster as an archangel–had appeared about two weeks ago, saying he wanted to help them against Lucifer. Given his speech last time they met about how he just wanted the world to end, and he and Sam were fated to go down in an angelic Celebrity Death Match, Dean didn’t trust this apparent change of heart. He didn’t know what Gabriel’s plan was–maybe he was planning on them using him for backup and then he’d decide to go have a beer instead–but there was definitely something. “What the fuck do you want?”

“I want to talk, Dean.” He actually sounded serious for once.

“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Tough. It’s about Cas,”

“Cas? What about him?” Dean’s eyes narrowed. Was something wrong? Had Cas lost his mojo completely? He knew his powers had been getting weaker, but Cas had been reluctant to talk about it.

“I’ve seen how he looks at you. How you look at him. You may not have done anything yet, but things are definitely headed in that direction. I know your reputation, Dean. Cas is innocent, a total naïf. He doesn’t even realize what he feels for you. So this is me telling you that if you hurt him, I’m quite capable of making you wish you were dead.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving Dean gaping in bewilderment.


	4. The Scientific Application of Clue-by-Fours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean’s confused. Sam helps him figure things out.

When Sam got back to the motel, Dean was sitting with the gun parts scattered around him on the bed, picking them up and putting them down again. Occasionally he’d mutter, “What the _fuck?_ ”

“Dean?”

Dean dropped the gun stock and looked at him. “Your angel,” he said flatly. “Is crazy.”

“Since when is Gabriel _my_ angel?” Sam demanded, amused.

“Since he showed up here again claiming to have seen the light. I still don’t trust him.”

“What’s he done now? Changed all the porn channels to the home shopping network?”

Dean snorted. “No. He came in here awhile back, and proceeded to give me what I can only describe as a Talk.”

“Wait, capital ‘T’?” Sam asked, his brow furrowing. “As in ‘touch her and I will end you’?”

Dean sighed. “Yeah.”

Sam shook his head, smiling. “Well, I guess even angels can have overprotective big brothers.”

Dean gaped. “You _knew_ about this?”

It was Sam’s turn to snort. “Dean, _everybody_ knows about it! You haven’t exactly been subtle! I wasn’t expecting Gabriel to threaten to go medieval on your ass, but–”

“Whoa, whoa!” Dean cut him off. “Why is everybody assuming…I mean I don’t think of Cas like that!”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Sure you don’t, Dean.”

“Really!”

“Dean, you stare at him all the time, and he’s staring right back. You’re always in each other’s personal space–”

“I tried to get him to stop that!” Dean protested.

“Yeah, ‘cause it really bothers you. I’m not _blind,_ Dean!”

“But…but I don’t…” Dean began, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

Sam sat down. Gabriel could have saved the Talk until Dean and Cas were actually together, not like that looked like it was going to happen anytime soon, if ever. Now he had to deal with the fact that Dean hadn’t…well, come out to himself yet. “Are you sure?”

“He’s a guy!” Dean burst out.

“Only technically.”

“He’s a freakin’ _angel!_ ”

Sam shrugged. “So was Anna.”

“Well…well yeah but when I…she wasn’t…”

Sam rubbed the back of his head. “How do you feel about him, really? I’m not being nosy, but we need to figure this out.”

“I…he’s…I owe him, Sammy. I owe him more than I can ever pay back.”

“Is that it?”

“No,” Dean said, sitting down on the other bed. “Even if I did…you know…he’s not interested.”

“I’ve been watching him, Dean, and believe me, he is.”

“But I don’t deserve him!”

Sam sighed. And here, right on cue, came Dean’s inferiority issues. “Why not?”

Dean gaped at him. “Why not? Why _not?_ Leaving aside the whole ‘Angel of the Lord’ thing, which I’m not, I’ve done more horrible shit, committed more crimes than most people still walking the Earth! I tortured people in Hell for _ten years!_ ”

Sam sighed again. “You need to let that go, Dean. It wasn’t your fault, Alistair broke you. You don’t think Cas forgave you for that?”

“He shouldn’t have. That was the pebble that started the avalanche,” Dean replied, the bitterness in his tone palpable.

“And if I hadn’t killed Lilith the Apocalypse wouldn’t have started.”

“And if I hadn’t been so weak it wouldn’t have mattered!”

“You’re not weak, Dean,” Sam said, wondering how the conversation had gone from Dean’s feelings for Cas to his perceived failings as a person. He supposed everything hinged on that, so he shouldn’t be surprised.

“How can you even _say_ that?”

“Because,” Sam said patiently. “If you put more stress on a beam than it was meant to bear, it breaks. Doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it. You lost Mom, then you were raised as a soldier, then Dad disappeared, then he died, saving _you,_ not incidentally. Then _I_ died, and you made a deal to save me, went to Hell and were tortured for thirty years before you broke, got dragged out and found your brother had gone darkside. That’s enough to make anybody crack.”

“But–”

“But nothing!” Sam cut him off. “Anna told you, I’ve told you, Cas told you, and we’re gonna _keep_ telling you until you believe it!”

That got a small smile out of Dean. “I still don’t deserve him.”

Sam resisted the urge to bang his head on the nearest hard surface. He waved his hands from side to side. “Let’s forget that for now. Do you _want_ to deserve him?”

“I…” Dean hesitated.

“What exactly do you feel for him, Dean?”

“He’s…he’s family. I thought I thought of him like I did you, but lately…I mean, I’d die for him, without a second thought, do anything to repay him for what he’s done for me…”

“That’s it?” Sam prompted, when Dean trailed off.

His brother huffed out a sigh. “No. I…dammit, I don’t fall in love with anyone, much less an angel!”

Sam sucked in a breath through his teeth. So it was that serious. “So you love him?”

“I…yes. But I don’t know what to _do_ with it! I mean, the guy’s a virgin, he’s got almost no human experience, I can’t just seduce him!”

“Why not? If he’s willing…”

“But he might not be, Sam! He might just go along with it, and sooner or later he’d regret it, and I’d have ruined one of the best things that ever happened in my life!”

“You could ask him,” Sam pointed out gently.

“I can’t _ask him!_ ” Dean protested, appalled. “If he isn’t interested…”

“Dean, right now you’re miserable. Now, as I see it, you have two options. You either make a move, which you won’t do because you don’t want to take advantage of him, or you sit down and _talk_ about this!”

“But…”

“Look, it’s your choice. You can do nothing, I don’t care. But you’re tearing yourself apart, here.” Sam opened the bag at his feet and tossed Dean a burger. “Now, eat.”

Dean looked at the burger for a moment as if he’d never seen anything like it before, then unwrapped it and took a bite.

Sam sighed. As if the Apocalypse wasn’t enough to deal with.


	5. Long Time Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean finally makes a move.

Dean’s been thinking, since he and Sam had that talk. Sam’s right, he is miserable, and he needs to do something about it. But Cas…he can’t just…

Dean lets out a sigh that’s more than half growl. Whatever, he has to do _something!_

And Sam seems to think so too, since this morning he’d said, “I’m going out. I won’t be back until tonight,” and left without another word.

So, time to face the heavenly choir. He pulls out his phone and texts Cas with his location.

A moment later he’s standing at the foot of the bed. “Dean. What’s going on?”

“Siddown, will ya?” Dean says, and Cas sits on Sam’s bed. Dean sits on his own bed and collects his thoughts. “Gabriel talked to me a few days ago.”

“About what?” Cas asks, tilting his head to the side.

Damn, he should have known Cas would come right to the point. “I dunno exactly. It was…weird.”

“Yes, he’s been making odd comments to me lately as well.”

 _Oh?_ “Such as?”

“Such as I’ve ‘got it bad’ and I need to ‘catch a clue.’”

Dean splutters slightly. Well, that’s clear enough. At least to him. “A clue about what?”

Cas shrugs. “I don’t know. But whenever he shows up, the conversation seems to turn to you.”

“Uh-huh.” Dean considers a moment, then finally decides if he’s subtle about it Cas won’t get it. “I think he might have been talking about how you feel about me.”

Cas cocks his head at him again. “How I feel about you?”

“Yeah…you know,” Dean mutters, but Cas obviously doesn’t know. “Why’d you go against Heaven for me?” he blurts out, without meaning to.

Cas’ eyes narrow at the question. “I was told to protect you.”

“Ah.” Dean sags, feeling disappointment, even though he’d expected it. “So that’s it? You were just following orders?”

“Yes. Although…” Cas hesitates, and Dean suddenly focuses on him again. “Although I think I would have done it even if I hadn’t been ordered to protect you.”

“Why?”

“I…don’t know,” Cas confesses. “You confuse me.”

“Confuse you how?” Dean asks, still not allowing himself to hope.

“You are a good man, and I’m proud to stand beside you, but lately…lately I want to be here even when nothing is happening. I was glad that you asked me along when Sam was gone, and I worry about you when I don’t know where you are. That has never happened before.”

“Maybe you didn’t know any humans well enough for it to happen before,” Dean suggests and Cas nods.

“Perhaps. But I know Sam almost as well, and I don’t feel this way about him.”

Dean realizes he’s holding his breath. “Feel what way?”

Cas stares at the floor, suddenly, and if Dean didn’t know better he’d think he was _blushing._ “I…think about you, about…in the whorehouse,” he says.

“What about it?” Dean asks, knowing it’s not really a non sequitur.

“I didn’t want her to take my virginity. I want to…”

“You want to…” Dean prompts him.

“I want _you,_ Dean,” Cas says, looking at him again, and his face is incredibly serious, like he’s discussing how to kill Lucifer. Dean realizes for the first time consciously that his eyes are a shade of blue he doesn’t think is found anywhere else.

After a confession like that, there’s only one thing to do. He gets up and pulls Cas to his feet as well, leans in and kisses him.

It’s sloppy, which makes sense, because Cas has probably never kissed before, but he opens his mouth willingly enough, lets Dean’s tongue flick inside, running along his top teeth, moving against Cas’ own.

Cas’ hands fist in his shirt, and he lets out a little needy noise that zings straight to Dean’s cock. He’s running his hands through Cas’ hair, and unknotting his tie, and Cas is moving against him like he’s not even aware what he’s doing.

When he finally pulls back, Cas looks positively debauched, his hair mussed, lips red and swollen, face flushed.

“Sam won’t be back until tonight,” Dean gasps against his mouth.

Cas moans, and Dean falls down onto the bed, pulling Cas on top of him.


End file.
